Elevate your marketing with website insights

If we were to attach a catchphrase to 2020, it has to be "change is the only constant". Everything from the way we worked, traveled, purchased, dressed—changed!

For marketers, the year was a kick in the teeth—things that worked out in the past did not work anymore—templates were modified, messaging took a refresh, workflows were revised, events went virtual, and campaigns were redesigned. With so many things constantly changing around, how does one level up their marketing and get more customers this year?

Well, the clue is in the website!

We have laid out ways in which you can use your website data to market better.

Lean on your old marketing pal—segmentation

Different people buy your products/services; can you really cater to every one of them?

The answer is: yes, if you bucket them into segments based on similarities.

Segmentation goes a long way in helping you prioritize your marketing efforts, choose effective marketing channels, improve customer experience, and gain loyal customers.

To segment your visitors, you need data. Like Scott M. Graffius says, "If you don’t collect any metrics, you’re flying blind. If you collect and focus on too many, they may be obstructing your field of view.” So, start by charting your segmentation goals out and the data you require for that.

Some pointers to get you started:

1. Did your site see an influx of new visitors or returning visitors?

2. Which parts of the world contributed to your traffic?

3. What type of devices do your visitors use?

4. Which time of the day is your site getting more visitors?

5. Which source is contributing to maximum traffic?

Keep your visitors at close quarters

In the past year, your website might have seen an uptick or a drop in traffic depending on the type of business you do. Don't worry about the traffic numbers, instead, take this opportunity to learn about your customers—their browsing and buying patterns. Tools like session recording and heatmaps can show what your visitors look for in your website and how they do it.

For instance, heatmaps can help you identify areas of your site that are experiencing a sudden increase or decrease in click activities. And session recording can complete the puzzle for you by showing how certain areas get more attention and the rest do not. Combining the insights from heatmaps and session recording, you can frame a hypothesis to improve your site.

Let's say you notice an influx of visitors from the UK clicking on the same-day delivery option from your payment page and some visitors take a long time to find the option. In this scenario, it might be a good idea to mention your same-day delivery option in obvious places like your home/product pages so visitors do not miss out.

Ramp up your customer experience

With everything shifting digital, many websites have seen an unprecedented surge in the number of first-time internet users. A Forbes article mentioned 75% of people in Italy who shop online are new to the platform. This might be the best time to earn more happy customers. If you are using live chat software to assist website visitors, then session recordings can be a great addition for it helps you spot friction points in your pages like CSS breakage, bad forms, and broken images, etc. Using a live chat with session recording will help you give visitors a smooth customer experience.

Similarly, use your segmentation data to put an end to your one-size-fits-all website experience. Give a unique experience to your visitors using personalization. Personalize everything from menus, pop-ups to landing pages, and discounts, and turn every visitor into a customer.

Let your customers be the better judge

From panic buying to living on mere essentials, customer behavior has changed in inexplicable ways in just a year. The best way to understand your customers' needs is to ask them directly. Conduct on-site surveys and ask visitors what you can help them with. On-site surveys serve as an instant validation for both your business and website visitors.

For instance, if you are planning to kickstart a newsletter subscription, you can check with visitors how they want to communicate with your brand. This way, you instantly know what to prioritize. Want to know if the pandemic has influenced the way customers perceive your brand? Run a quick NPS and measure brand perception. Looking for your next feature inspiration? Include open-ended questions in your survey and ask people to state problems they are looking to solve with your product. The benefits are endless if you ask the right questions to your visitors.

Ending note

The points above serve as a reminder of the timeless lesson 2020 taught us—quickly learn about customer behavior and adapt to their changing needs if you want to thrive in a business.

Have anything to add to this list? Comment right away!